Good Versus Good

There will be no white-hat/black-hat rivalry when the Denver police and Denver fire departments meet tonight in a friendly Battle of the Badges charity soccer match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. As Denver spokeswoman Niambi Nicholes notes, “For them, it’s the bragging rights.” After all, the teams will be facing off in front of a packed house already there to see the Colorado Rapids take on the popular Chivas USA. “It’s a highly anticipated game,” Nicholes remarks, “and we’re expecting a lot of energy and excitement in the park on that day.”

How do the Denver teams match up? Nicholes can’t answer that one. “I know they’ve been practicing,” she says, adding that the event is mostly about great public relations. “It’s an opportunity to see the men and women who represent the Denver police and fire departments in a very different light — out of uniform and having fun kicking around a soccer ball.”

The Rapids game starts at 7 p.m., with the charity match following at 9:30 p.m.; for tickets, $25 (children under three get in free), call 303-727-3541 or go to www.coloradorapids.com/news/2012/06/denver-fire-vs-denver-police-charity-match-set-august-18. Dick’s is at 6000 Victory Way in Commerce City. And remember, no matter which Denver team is victorious, everyone comes out a winner: A portion of every ticket sold for tonight’s game will go to the Denver Police Orphans’ Fund and the Friends of the Denver Fire Department Sat., Aug. 18, 7 p.m., 2012

Denver native Susan Froyd studied English, Art and finally Journalism at Metro State University of Denver, and also managed movie theaters, sold art supplies and was a buyer in the stationery and greeting card industry, before landing at the weekly Denver newspaper Westword as Arts and Culture Editor in 1992. Twenty-two years of coverage later, she’s still at it and not over her love affair with Denver’s cultural scene. Not so much a critic as she is a cheerleader for the city’s fine- and performing-arts communities, Susan feels privileged to serve all the vibrant artists in all disciplines who make our town a more engaging place to live.